Record of Lodoss War: A Blast from the Past

Record of Lodoss War was produced on 1986. It is a “sword and sorcery” fantasy piece based on the novel series by Mizuno Ryo. This anime was probably my introduction to proper Japanese animation and I must say it is still one of my very favorites. The animation has aged well and the story is well written and easily captures and keeps the attention.

Record of Lodoss War is the story of a young man named Parn who’s father was a Holy Knight of Valis. This is Parn’s ambition as well, however Parn’s father met with some mysterious disgrace and somehow disappeared from the scene. Part of the story is Parn’s search for his father as well as his attempt to regain the honor of his family name. Unfortunately for Parn, his father never had time to instruct him in the manly arts of combat because, at the beginning of the story, Parn’s skill with weapons leaves a great deal to be desired. His enthusiasm, however, does not. This combination of traits leads him into all sorts of trouble.

Parn is joined in his adventures by his boyhood friend Atoh, a newly vested priest of the religion of Valis. Atoh is faithful but appears to want more out of life than what the cloisture of the priesthood affords. He is kind and good natured as befitting a cleric and has magial healing skills as well as the ability to repel evil or undead creatures.

Deedlit is a female elf who joins the party due to her attraction to Parn. She is beautiful, young, and probably the best fighter with a sword in the group. She also has magical abilities based upon nature as befitting an elf. While Deedlit can be serious in combat, she is often light hearted and seems to lack focus. This is one of the many traits that puts her at odds with other members of the party.

The other members, Gim, the dwarf, Woodchuck the thief, and Slayn the wizard generally fill the rolls that one would expect from a Dungeons and Dragon’s adventure group. There is very little that is original but this predictability is part of the story’s appeal. The evil warlord of the land of Marmo invades the island of Lodoss. There are manipulations behind the scenes by various powerful characters, and, if something is not done soon, the Goddess of Destruction will be revived to wreak havoc and destruction on the world. While this may not be an original or groundbreaking story, it is a very well written and entertaining one, definitely worth the time invested to watch.

There is little in way of nudity or inappropriate language outside of a single short scene in the second episode of the Mayor’s young daughter bathing in a stream. This is not graphic and could probably be appropriate for older teens. There is a good bit of medieval battle violence and magic use but nothing is too graphic or gratuitous. All in all, this is an excellent way to introduce anyone to the anime art form or for an aficionado to enjoy over and over again.